Physics and chemistry may become more popular: why the Ministry of Education and Science introduced new coefficients for admission

From 2025, the system of admission to institutions of higher education will undergo important changes. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES) revised the weighting factors for the subjects of the national multi-subject test (NMT), which will affect the competitive score of applicants. This decision is designed to make the choice of a specialty more conscious and to motivate graduates to focus on those disciplines that are really important for the chosen profession.

One of the main changes has been the increased role of the fourth subject in the final result, which can increase interest in subjects such as physics and chemistry. In previous years, these subjects were rarely chosen by applicants, but now they can significantly affect the final score when entering technical and natural sciences.

How the updated system of coefficients works and what entrants should pay attention to – we will understand further.

NMT: how the exam changed during the war

NMT became an alternative to the traditional ZNO in 2022, when due to a full-scale invasion there was a need to adapt the process of entrance exams to new realities. Since then, testing has been conducted in a compact format and in one day. This year, as last year, participants will complete three compulsory subjects:

• Ukrainian language,
• Mathematics,
• History of Ukraine.

The entrant chooses the fourth subject independently. All tests are conducted in computer format. Why is NMT performed in one day? Tetyana Vakulenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education (UCEQA), explains that this decision is due to security and logistical challenges: “Many entrants are currently abroad, in temporarily occupied territories or in regions where hostilities continue. We cannot arrange testing for them on the spot, so they have to go to other settlements. It is difficult, expensive and dangerous”, – she notes in the comment “UP. Life”.

Testing schedule

NMT will be held in two sessions:

• Main session:
  – Registration – from March 6 to April 3
  – Testing – from May 14 to June 25
  – Results – until July 4
• Additional session:
  – Registration – from May 9 to 14
  – Testing – from July 14 to 25
  – Results – until July 30

Applicants will receive their results in their personal electronic accounts on a scale of 100–200 points.

Infographic: IA “FACT”

What’s next? Despite the war and difficulties with the organization of testing, the system of entrance exams remains stable. The main thing is not to miss registration and prepare thoroughly.

Competitive selection: how weighting factors for NMT work

When entering various specialties in Ukraine, the results of the multitest are evaluated not only by points, but also by taking into account weighting factors. This means that each NMT subject will have a different weight depending on the field of study.

This year, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Science aims to make entrants take a more responsible approach to the choice of an additional subject, because its influence on the competitive score is increasing. For example, if previously the fourth subject was perceived as “auxiliary”, now its results will play a more decisive role in admission. Due to the increased weight of the fourth subject, the MES expects that more entrants to engineering and technical specialties will prefer physics and chemistry. In previous years, these disciplines were not popular, and now their choice can significantly affect the competitive score.

Therefore, in 2025, an additional algorithm is introduced to calculate the coefficient of the fourth subject. Its weight will be determined as the arithmetic mean between the individual weight coefficient of the item and the maximum possible coefficient. This means that the result from the fourth subject will not be overestimated, but it will not remain secondary either.

The main subjects evaluated in NMT are Ukrainian language, mathematics and history of Ukraine, as well as one subject of choice – biology, physics, chemistry, geography, Ukrainian literature or foreign languages ​​(English, German, French, Spanish). What does this mean for applicants?

The Ministry of Education and Science has established special coefficients for each specialty, which help to increase the value of certain subjects depending on the study profile. For example, for legal majors, the result of a foreign language will have the greatest weight, for IT majors – physics, and for medical majors – biology.

Infographic: IA “FACT”

The coefficients contain recommendations for selection

On the one hand, the applicant has freedom of choice and can take the subject he knows best. On the other hand, the system of weighting coefficients seems to indicate which disciplines are key for a certain specialty. For example, for future journalists, foreign language has the highest coefficient (0.5), and Ukrainian literature received a weight of 0.4. At the same time, disciplines that are usually more difficult for humanities, such as physics or mathematics, have lower coefficients. This is logical, because the system aims to ensure that applicants with the appropriate abilities choose those subjects that are most suitable for their future profession.

By focusing on the coefficients, applicants can clearly understand which subject is a priority for them and focus their efforts on achieving the best result in those areas that are most important for their admission. Experienced teachers advise paying attention to the results of trial testing, self-testing, and the student’s overall success in various disciplines in order to correctly decide on the fourth subject.

The coefficient for the results of the creative competition has a great weight. On the infographic, we can see that for those applicants who plan to connect their lives with art in its various guises – from restoration to modern forms – it will be most correct to prepare for creative tests, because the coefficients for all educational subjects, taken together, will weigh less than the coefficient of the creative competition.

Changes in the admission campaign of 2025 are not just new rules, but an opportunity for applicants to make a more informed choice of their future profession. The weighting factors help to determine which subjects are most important for the profession of your dreams, and motivate you to better prepare for them. This is a chance not only to get a higher competitive score, but also to choose a path that matches your abilities and interests. Choosing the right fourth subject can be the first step to a successful career. So don’t be afraid of challenges, study with inspiration and use all the opportunities that the new admission system provides!